THE HAZEL-NUT CHILD [\[29\]](#Footnote2929)
by Unknown · from The Yellow Fairy Book
![Cover: THE HAZEL-NUT CHILD [\[29\]](#Footnote2929)](/library-files/english/unknown/the_yellow_fairy_book/the_hazel_nut_child_29_footnote2929/images/cover/cover_001.png?v=1773764420341)
Adapted Version
A kind mom and dad lived there. They wished for a tiny child. Heaven heard their wish. A small baby came. He was Tiny Tom. He was as small as a nut. Tiny Tom was very smart. He never grew bigger. His parents loved him much.
Tiny Tom was fifteen years old. Mom asked, "What will you do?" Tiny Tom said, "A messenger." Mom laughed. She said, "You are too small." Tiny Tom said, "I will be fast!"
Mom sent Tiny Tom on a trip. "Go get a comb," she said. Tiny Tom saw a man on a horse. He climbed on the horse's leg. He sat under the saddle. He used a tiny pin. He gently poked the horse. The horse ran very fast. Tiny Tom came back quickly. Mom was amazed.
Dad took Tiny Tom to the field. A sneaky man came. He wanted to steal Dad's horse. Tiny Tom was on the horse. He climbed its tail. He bit the horse's back. The horse jumped and ran home. The sneaky man fell off. Dad saw the man. Dad caught the sneaky man.
Tiny Tom was twenty years old. He told parents, "I will travel." He said goodbye. His parents laughed a little. Tiny Tom found a big stork. The stork was sleeping. He climbed on the stork's back. He wanted to fly far away.
The storks flew south. Tiny Tom flew with them. He had a silk string. He tied it to the stork's wing. He could make the stork stop. He could make it rest. Tiny Tom was very clever. He traveled a long way.
They came to a warm, sunny land. People saw Tiny Tom. They took him to The Kind King. The King was very happy. He liked Tiny Tom much. The King saw how brave he was. He gave Tiny Tom a gift. It was a very big, shiny diamond.
Tiny Tom tied the big diamond. He put it on the stork's neck. The storks flew north again. Tiny Tom flew all the way home. He was very happy.
Tiny Tom came to his village. He took off the diamond. He hid it in the ground. He put sand and stones on it. He ran to get Mom and Dad. "Come see my treasure!" he said. They were very surprised. They were very happy.
The family was now rich. They lived very happily. Tiny Tom was small. But he did big, brave things. He was very clever and brave. Being small did not stop him. He showed everyone his strength. Everyone was very happy.
Original Story
THE HAZEL-NUT CHILD [29]
There was once upon a time a couple who had no children, and they prayed Heaven every day to send them a child, though it were no bigger than a hazel-nut. At last Heaven heard their prayer and sent them a child exactly the size of a hazel-nut, and it never grew an inch. The parents were very devoted to the little creature, and nursed and tended it carefully. Their tiny son too was as clever as he could be, and so sharp and sensible that all the neighbours marvelled over the wise things he said and did.
When the Hazel-nut child was fifteen years old, and was sitting one day in an egg-shell on the table beside his mother, she turned to him and said, ‘You are now fifteen years old, and nothing can be done with you. What do you intend to be?’
‘A messenger,’ answered the Hazel-nut child.
Then his mother burst out laughing and said, ‘What an idea! You a messenger! Why, your little feet would take an hour to go the distance an ordinary person could do in a minute!’
But the Hazel-nut child replied, ‘Nevertheless I mean to be a messenger! Just send me a message and you’ll see that I shall be back in next to no time.’
So his mother said, ‘Very well, go to your aunt in the neighbouring village, and fetch me a comb.’ The Hazel-nut child jumped quickly out of the egg-shell and ran out into the street. Here he found a man on horseback who was just setting out for the neighbouring village. He crept up the horse’s leg, sat down under the saddle, and then began to pinch the horse and to prick it with a pin. The horse plunged and reared and then set off at a hard gallop, which it continued in spite of its rider’s efforts to stop it. When they reached the village, the Hazel-nut child left off pricking the horse, and the poor tired creature pursued its way at a snail’s pace. The Hazel-nut child took advantage of this, and crept down the horse’s leg; then he ran to his aunt and asked her for a comb. On the way home he met another rider, and did the return journey in exactly the same way. When he handed his mother the comb that his aunt had given him, she was much amazed and asked him, ‘But how did you manage to get back so quickly?’
‘Ah! mother,’ he replied, ‘you see I was quite right when I said I knew a messenger was the profession for me.’
His father too possessed a horse which he often used to take out into the fields to graze. One day he took the Hazel-nut child with him. At midday the father turned to his small son and said, ‘Stay here and look after the horse. I must go home and give your mother a message, but I shall be back soon.’
When his father had gone, a robber passed by and saw the horse grazing without any one watching it, for of course he could not see the Hazel-nut child hidden in the grass. So he mounted the horse and rode away. But the Hazel-nut child, who was the most active little creature, climbed up the horse’s tail and began to bite it on the back, enraging the creature to such an extent that it paid no attention to the direction the robber tried to make it go in, but galloped straight home. The father was much astonished when he saw a stranger riding his horse, but the Hazel-nut child climbed down quickly and told him all that had happened, and his father had the robber arrested at once and put into prison.
One autumn when the Hazel-nut child was twenty years old he said to his parents: ‘Farewell, my dear father and mother. I am going to set out into the world, and as soon as I have become rich I will return home to you.’
The parents laughed at the little man’s words, but did not believe him for a moment. In the evening the Hazel-nut child crept on to the roof, where some storks had built their nest. The storks were fast asleep, and he climbed on to the back of the father-stork and bound a silk cord round the joint of one of its wings, then he crept among its soft downy feathers and fell asleep.
The next morning the storks flew towards the south, for winter was approaching. The Hazel-nut child flew through the air on the stork’s back, and when he wanted to rest he bound his silk cord on to the joint of the bird’s other wing, so that it could not fly any farther. In this way he reached the country of the black people, where the storks took up their abode close to the capital. When the people saw the Hazel-nut child they were much astonished, and took him with the stork to the King of the country. The King was delighted with the little creature and kept him always beside him, and he soon grew so fond of the little man that he gave him a diamond four times as big as himself. The Hazel-nut child fastened the diamond firmly under the stork’s neck with a ribbon, and when he saw that the other storks were getting ready for their northern flight, he untied the silk cord from his stork’s wings, and away they went, getting nearer home every minute. At length the Hazel-nut child came to his native village; then he undid the ribbon from the stork’s neck and the diamond fell to the ground; he covered it first with sand and stones, and then ran to get his parents, so that they might carry the treasure home, for he himself was not able to lift the great diamond.
So the Hazel-nut child and his parents lived in happiness and prosperity after this till they died.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the smallest and most unlikely individuals can achieve great things through cleverness and determination.
Plot Summary
A childless couple is granted a wish for a son no bigger than a hazel-nut, who is exceptionally clever. Despite his tiny size, the Hazel-nut child proves his worth by cleverly completing errands and saving his father's horse from a robber. At twenty, he leaves home, traveling on the back of a stork to a foreign land where he receives a large diamond from a King. He returns home with the treasure, making his family rich, and they live happily ever after, having proven that even the smallest can achieve greatness.
Themes
Emotional Arc
underestimated to triumphant
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a pre-industrial society where horses were primary transportation and wealth was often acquired through extraordinary means.
Plot Beats (10)
- A childless couple wishes for a child, even one the size of a hazel-nut, and receives a tiny, clever son.
- At fifteen, his mother questions his future, and he declares he will be a messenger.
- His mother sends him on an errand, and he rides a horse by pinching and pricking it, returning quickly.
- His father takes him to the fields, and the Hazel-nut child saves the grazing horse from a robber by biting its tail, leading to the robber's arrest.
- At twenty, he announces he will seek his fortune and leaves home by clinging to a stork's back.
- He travels south with the storks, using a silk cord to control his ride.
- In the land of the black people, he is presented to the King, who is delighted and gives him a huge diamond.
- He fastens the diamond to the stork's neck and returns north with the migrating birds.
- Upon reaching his village, he unfastens the diamond, covers it, and brings his parents to retrieve the treasure.
- The family becomes rich and lives in happiness and prosperity.
Characters
The Hazel-nut Child
A human male, perpetually the size of a hazel-nut, never growing an inch beyond his initial birth size. His body is perfectly proportioned despite his miniature stature.
Attire: No specific clothing is mentioned, implying simple, perhaps homespun garments appropriate for a child in a European peasant setting, scaled down to his size. Likely a small tunic and breeches.
Wants: To prove his capabilities despite his size, to be useful, and eventually to become rich and provide for his parents.
Flaw: His extreme smallness is his primary physical vulnerability, making him dependent on larger creatures or objects for travel and protection.
Starts as a child proving his worth to his parents, then ventures into the world to seek his fortune, ultimately returning rich and fulfilling his promise, bringing prosperity to his family.
Clever, sharp, sensible, determined, resourceful, adventurous, and active.
The Mother
A woman of average build and height, likely a European peasant woman. Her appearance is not detailed, but she would show signs of a life of work.
Attire: Simple, practical European peasant clothing: a long linen or wool dress, possibly with an apron, in muted colors like brown, grey, or undyed linen.
Wants: To care for her unique child and ensure his well-being, despite her initial doubts about his capabilities.
Flaw: Her initial lack of belief in her son's abilities, stemming from his unusual size.
Starts as a loving but doubtful mother, and through her son's actions, she learns to believe in his extraordinary capabilities, culminating in pride and shared prosperity.
Devoted, loving, initially skeptical, easily amazed, and ultimately proud.
The Father
A man of average build and height, likely a European peasant man. His appearance is not detailed, but he would show signs of a life of labor.
Attire: Simple, practical European peasant clothing: a linen shirt, wool breeches, and sturdy boots, in earthy tones.
Wants: To care for his family, including his unique son, and to provide for them.
Flaw: His trust in leaving his horse unattended, not realizing his son's hidden presence.
Remains a constant, supportive figure, witnessing his son's cleverness and eventually sharing in his prosperity.
Devoted, trusting, pragmatic, and decisive (when arresting the robber).
The Robber
A man of unspecified build and height, likely appearing rugged or disheveled from his lifestyle. His features would suggest a life outside the law.
Attire: Practical, dark, and worn clothing suitable for a bandit, such as rough wool tunic, dark breeches, and sturdy boots. Perhaps a cloak for concealment.
Wants: To steal the unattended horse for profit or transport.
Flaw: His inability to perceive the tiny Hazel-nut Child, leading to his downfall.
Appears briefly as an obstacle, is outsmarted by the Hazel-nut Child, and is subsequently arrested and imprisoned.
Opportunistic, greedy, and easily confused when faced with inexplicable events.
The King of the Black People
A powerful and regal man, described as the 'King of the black people', implying an African monarch. He would have a commanding presence and stature.
Attire: Rich, colorful traditional African royal attire. This could include flowing robes made of vibrant kente cloth or similar patterned fabrics, adorned with gold jewelry, beads, and possibly a ceremonial headpiece or crown.
Wants: To be entertained and to possess unique and interesting curiosities.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, but perhaps a susceptibility to novelty.
Serves as a benevolent figure who rewards the Hazel-nut Child for his uniqueness, enabling his journey to wealth.
Curious, delighted, generous, and fond of unique things.
Locations
Parents' Cottage Interior
A humble, well-maintained room inside a traditional German half-timbered Fachwerk house, likely with a simple wooden table where an egg-shell sits. The walls might be plastered and whitewashed, with exposed dark timber beams. The atmosphere is cozy and domestic.
Mood: warm, domestic, slightly humorous
The Hazel-nut child, at fifteen, declares his intention to be a messenger, surprising his mother.
Village Street
A typical village street in rural Germany, likely unpaved, with simple cottages lining it. There might be some greenery, perhaps a few trees or bushes. The air is clear and open.
Mood: bustling, everyday, ordinary
The Hazel-nut child first demonstrates his messenger skills by hitching a ride on a horse.
Grazing Field
An open, grassy field where a horse grazes. The field is likely surrounded by trees or hedges, indicating a rural setting. The grass is tall enough to hide the Hazel-nut child.
Mood: peaceful, then tense
The Hazel-nut child thwarts a robber attempting to steal his father's horse.
Parents' Cottage Roof
The sloped, possibly thatched or tiled roof of the parents' cottage, where storks have built a large, messy nest. The roof offers a vantage point over the surrounding village or countryside.
Mood: anticipatory, quiet
The Hazel-nut child begins his journey into the world by hitching a ride on a stork.
Country of the Black People (African Kingdom)
A vibrant, warm landscape in an African kingdom, likely near the capital. The architecture would feature sun-baked mud-brick or stone structures with thatched or flat roofs, possibly adorned with geometric patterns. Vegetation would include acacia trees, baobabs, and other drought-resistant plants. The air is warm and humid.
Mood: exotic, bustling, royal
The Hazel-nut child arrives and is presented to the King, receiving a large diamond.